Bake Sale and Tiger High at the Hi-Tone Café

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A lot of the high-profile action in Memphis music this year has come from new rappers (Don Trip, Cities Aviv) and established roots artists (North Mississippi Allstars, Amy LaVere). But there's interesting new stuff on the indie-rock scene too, and two of the most promising new-ish local indie bands pair up this week at the Hi-Tone.

Tiger High is the latest project from the brothers Vest (Jake and Toby), who previously partnered in notable local bands such as the Bulletproof Vests and Third Man. Here they're joined by longtime collaborator Greg Faison and former Reigning Sound drummer Greg Roberson to forge a sound that drifts from their earlier art- and classic-rock styles into something at once poppier, fuzzier, and more psychedelic, captured most recently on an excellent two-song single ("Hot Rod Honda"/"Riding the Wave").

Bake Sale (pictured) also has a debut single out ("As Predicted"/"Meanwhile"), recorded by the Vest brothers at their Midtown studio. Live, Bake Sale always reminds me of forgotten '90s minimalists Scrawl. On record, they're a little softer and less conversational, maybe more akin to recent indie notables Vivian Girls and Best Coast.

Though there are personal connections between them, Bake Sale and Tiger High also have plenty in common musically. Both evoke the mid-'60s without any trace of retro fussiness — echoes of Spectorian pop, surf music, garage rock, and girl groups popping up easily and honestly here and there. Bake Sale and Tiger High play the Hi-Tone Café, with Data Drums, on Friday, September 2nd. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

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